Private Equity 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: July 17, 2026, 11:30 AM ET
Private Equity Sector Activity
Private equity firms are actively pursuing deals across various sectors, with a notable focus on healthcare and infrastructure. Archi Med closed a $1.1 billion take-private of Esperion Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on therapies pehub.com. KKR, Ares, and Tiger Infrastructure Partners are among those pehub.com, with five deals noted in this space. Charterhouse Capital Partners is set to acquire French building maintenance group Batibig, a business generating over €500 million in annual revenue, and is also acquiring an emergency building repairs business as part of broader property bets pehub.com. Summit, backed by Avathon, acquired Kids Bowel & Bladder, a health-focused continuing education provider pehub.com. Health Wave Partners acquired memory care community Alamar Senior Living, which is managed by Age Well Senior Living as part of its senior living portfolio pehub.com. Serent-backed Raintree acquired Spike Technologies, a healthcare AI firm, further consolidating the health-tech space for rehabilitation providers pehub.com. Trive Capital sold its HIP services provider Kittyhawk to Machine Sciences, a portfolio company of Viking Global in a strategic divestment pehub.com.
Credit and Investment Firm Moves
Investment firms are also making significant moves in credit and strategic stakes. Aston Martin is reportedly in discussions with a group of funds, including BlackRock-owned HPS Investment Partners, to raise fresh debt and bolster its cash reserves. In Japan, EQT has raised its tender offer for internet platform operator Kakaku.com to ¥3,450 ($21. per share, up from ¥3,000, as part of a consortium seeking control of the firm. Assurances du Crédit Mutuel (ACM) and Wafra are expanding their stakes in Ardian, with AXA selling its 10% holding in the global private investment firm. Advantage Partners is planning a strategy to target Japanese firms that are shielded from foreign takeovers, focusing on companies central to the country's economic-security concerns.
Venture Capital and Startup Funding Trends
The venture capital landscape is seeing robust activity, particularly in AI and specific European markets. AI startups are commanding a significant amount of seed funding, making it more challenging for companies at the pre-seed stage techcrunch.com. Fora, an AI-powered travel agency, achieved unicorn status, raising $60 million in a Series D round led by Forerunner and Tactile Ventures, valuing the company at $1 billion techcrunch.com. EQT’s €5 billion Scaleup Fund is reportedly in talks to lead a funding round for Mistral AI a burgeoning AI company. In Europe, venture capitalists are increasingly taking on operational roles at their portfolio startups sifted.eu. Mollie is undertaking a €350 million expansion plan, signaling a strong commitment to its European operations as it aims for broader market reach sifted.eu. Founders Fund has hired former OpenAI executive Ryan Beiermeister as a partner, adding significant AI expertise to its team techcrunch.com. Spain and Argentina are showing promise in startup funding, with recent trends indicating news.crunchbase.com.